Notalgia paresthetica: clinical, physiopathological and therapeutic aspects. A study of 12 cases

Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a common but often unrecognized neurocutaneou s condition, with very few cases reported to date. It is characterized by p ruritus localized in an area between D2 and D6 dermatomes, sometimes accomp anied by sensory neuropathies and/or electrical conductivity disorders. Cut aneous pigmented patches and friction amyloidosis can arise with irritation . Some hereditary cases have been noted mainly in young patients, associate d with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A. However, NP mainly occurs in o lder patients and most are sporadic pathologies linked with musculoskeletal compression of spinal nerves, Only capsaicin has shown some (but unfortuna tely only transient) efficacy in relieving NP symptoms. We present observat ions on 12 sporadic cases of NP. Spinal X-rays revealed dorsal arthrosis or spinal static disequilibrium in nine of these patients. Six patients under went spinal and paraspinal ultrasound or radiation (better) physiotherapy, and the symptoms subsided in four of these cases. These results highlighted that spinal disorders could be a determining factor in NP, indicating that patients could benefit from physiotherapy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.